Systems and methods herein generally relate to document printing and, more particularly, to a raster image process performance preflight technique for collecting and displaying preliminary raster image processing performance statistics and data object statistics associated with a document print job prior to document printing in order to allow the print job to be modified to improve the raster image processing rate for the print job as a whole and/or to improve the raster image processing time for individual pages in the print job and, thereby to enhance printing efficiency.
More particularly, a printing system typically comprises a raster image processor that receives a print job for a document and performs raster image processing of that print job in order to produce raster pages (also referred to as bitmaps), which are forwarded to one or more print engines for output (i.e., for printing of the document). The raster image processing rate for a print job (i.e., the average speed measured in, for example, pages per minute (PPM), at which the raster pages for a print job are produced) and the raster image processing time for any individual page in a print job (i.e., the time measured in, for example, seconds, it takes for an individual raster page to be generated) have a direct impact on the performance of the print engine.
For example, oftentimes manufacturers of printing systems and, particularly, manufacturers of high-end printing systems specify print timing specifications. In order to meet these print timing specifications, corresponding raster image processing timing specifications must first be met. Specifically, print timing specifications such as, a relatively high minimum print rate (e.g., in pages per minute (PPM), such as a minimum print rate of 50 PPM to 1000 PPM or higher) and a relatively low maximum per page print time (e.g., in seconds, such as a maximum print time of 60 seconds or lower), can only be achieved if corresponding raster image process specifications such as, a minimum raster image processing rate for a print job and a maximum raster image processing time per page in the print job, are first met. Achieving print timing specifications is especially important in a continuous feed-type printing system because such a printing system is typically unable to stop or slow down mid-print job to accommodate slow raster image processing of individual page(s). Furthermore, even if a continuous-feed type printing system is able to stop or slow-down mid-print job to accommodate slow raster image processing of individual page(s), stopping or slowing down mid-print job will cause a decrease in print productivity and unnecessary wear on the print engine. This high minimum print rate requirement is also important in cut-sheet-type printing system, again, because slowing down or stopping mid-print job to accommodate slow raster image processing of individual page(s) can cause a decrease in print productivity and unnecessary wear on the print engine.